Measure the backlog
Count affected months, bank and card accounts, approximate monthly transactions, and missing statements.
Cleanup pricing guide
What should QuickBooks cleanup cost? Diagnose first.
Quick answer
Cleanup cost depends on the number of months and accounts, transaction volume, reconciliation gaps, payroll or sales-tax complexity, missing records, and whether prior filings are affected. A quote is more useful when those facts are known first.
Signs to look for
- The quote does not define a starting or ending month
- Reconciliations and duplicate cleanup are not mentioned
- The provider cannot explain what deliverables you receive
- Ongoing bookkeeping is bundled before the backlog is scoped
What to do next
Define the finish line
Ask whether the price includes reconciliations, categorization review, open-item questions, reports, and a handoff summary.
Separate exceptions
Payroll, inventory, loans, sales tax, and changes to previously filed periods may need professional review outside a software cleanup.
Where TrainedBooks fits
TrainedBooks starts with a free diagnostic, then a person catches the books up for a flat $1,500 within a stated scope, with anything larger quoted first. Optional Keep-Clean software starts at $49 per month.
The current QuickBooks Online integration imports Purchases and Deposits for analysis. It does not write transactions back, move money, file taxes, or replace a licensed professional.
Frequently asked questions
Why do professional cleanup quotes vary so much?
Two files with the same number of months can require very different work. Account count, transaction volume, missing documents, reconciliation state, payroll, loans, inventory, and filed periods all change the risk and effort.
What does TrainedBooks charge?
The diagnostic is free. Done-for-you cleanup is a flat $1,500 one-time inside the stated scope, and anything outside it is quoted before work starts. Optional Keep-Clean plans are $49, $79, $149 per month.
Does the price include tax or accounting advice?
No. TrainedBooks is software and does not provide tax, audit, legal, or licensed accounting advice.